Re: Was Dhammapala as Sinhalese bhikkhu?

Respected Venerable Nyanatusita,

I think the Pali focuses more on the place than on his nationality. So the latter seems closer. But as the Pali passage uses the word 'siihala' as synonymous to 'Sri Lanka', I guess the interpreter might have followed this by identifying 'Sri Lankan' as 'Sinhalese' without considering different nationalities existing on the island.

Yours respectfully,
Chanida

--- In palistudy@yahoogroups.com, Nyanatusita <nyanatusita@...> wrote:
>
>   Dear all,
>
> I am reading a booklet on Buddhism in South India. The author quotes the
> Sa-sanavamsa as follows:
>
> "A-cariya Dhammapa-la, who compiled a number of commentaries such as the
> one on the Itivuttaka, was a resident of the Badaratittha Viha-ra in the
> Tamil country. Hence he may be considered as a Sinhalese Bhikkhu."
>
>
> I checked the original in the Sa-sanavamsa and can't see how the author
> can interpret the passage as suggesting that he was a Sinhalese Bhikkhu.
> This is the Pali:
>
> /Itivuttoda-nacariya-pit.akathera-theri-vima-navatthupetavatthunettiat.t.hakatha-yo
> a-cariyadhammapa-latthero aka-si. So ca a-cariyadhammapa-latthero
> si-hal.adi-passa sami-pe damilarat.t.he badaratitthamhi niva-sitatta-
> si-hal.adi-peyeva san.gahetva- vattabbo./
>
> My tentative translation of this is:
>
>
> "A-cariya Dhammapa-la Thera made the commentaries on the Itivuttaka,
> Uda-na, Cariya-pit.aka, Thera- & Theri--ga-tha-, Vima-navatthu,
> Petavatthu and the Netti. That A-cariya Dhammapa-la Thera, because of
> residency in Badaratittha in the Tamil country, which is near the Island
> of Sri Lanka, is to be spoken of as having been included in the Island
> of Sri Lanka."
>
>
> Is this suggesting that Dhammapala was Sinhalese bhikkhu or that he is
> to be considered as a Sri Lankan author because of living in a place
> near Sri Lanka?
>
> Regards,
>                       Bh Nyanatusita
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>